Automated mentor assignment in blended learning environments

In this paper, we discuss the addition of automatic assignment of mentors during in-class lab work to an existing online platform for programing practice. SingPath is an web based tool for users to practice programming in several software languages. The platform started as a tool to provide students with online feedback on solutions to programming problems and expanded over time to support different of blended learning needs for a variety of classes and classroom settings. The SingPath platform supports traditional self-directed learning mechanisms such as badges and completion metrics as well as features for use in classrooms, such as tournaments. We evaluate the addition of the mentor assignment feature during two short workshops designed to introduce students to the Python and JavaScript programming languages. The introduction of the mentor assignment features provided a more collaborative and engaging experience compared with previous courses.